Pipe handling tool



vFeb. 17, 1959 L. E. TURNER PIPE HANDLING TOOL Filed July 18. 1956 Fig. 4

INVENTOR Leonard E. Turner ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice PIPE HANDLING TooL Leonard E. Turner, Stanton, Tex. Application July 18, 1956, Serial No. 598,701 7 Claims. Cl. 294-15 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pipe handling tools.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved pipe handling tool having a hand support and a pivoted closure member carried by the hand support whereby the tool may be held suspended in one hand with its closure member over a pipe and free to swing, and the tool moved downwardly to swing the closure member automatically into a locking position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tool of the character described which has a closure member adapted to be latched in pipe holding position and adapted when unlatchcd to automatically swing downward and free the pipe, when the tool is moved upwardly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pipe handling tool which comprises comparatively few parts and lends itself to free and automatic operation.

Still another'object of the invention is to provide an improved pipe handling tool so arranged that it may be grasped by a fixed handle with a closure member medially and pivotally suspended over a pipe and free, when unlatched, to be automatically swung to a closed or open movement upon a downward or upward movement of the tool.

' A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a pipe handling tool in its closed position and constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a viewin elevation of the tool gripping a pipe, shown in transverse section, a portion of the head of the tool being broken away to show the latch mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, with the closure member unlatched and the tool elevated above the pipe, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the latch end of the tool in its closed position.

In the drawings, the numeral designates a hand member and 11 designates an arcuate closure member pivoted intermediate its ends to one end of the hand member whereby, when the closure member is released and the hand member is supported or held in the hand of the operator, the closure member swings down to an open position as is shown in Fig. 3. Upon moving the tool downwardly over and transversely of a pipe, so as to straddle the same, a finger 12 formed on the closure member and underlying the hand member is engaged by the pipe and causes the closure member. to swing around the pipe and coact with the hand member in gripping said pipe. Upon release, the closure member is swung from the pipe when the hand member is lifted. The arrangement and relation of the elements, one to another, is important.

2,873,995 Patented Feb. 17,1959

The entire tool is made of a suitable metal or other material and the band member 10 includes an arcuate handle-pr grip; 13, properly rounded transversely, intermediate its ends, to provide a comfortable hand grip. At the left hand end (in the drawings) the handle is merged into a head 14. from which a curved clamping jaw 15 depends. At the opposite or right hand end (in the drawings), the handle .is curved abruptly downwardly into a hanger 16, which is bifurcated to provide a medial slot 17 with depending lugs 18 on each side (Fig. l).

The arcuate closure member 11 at its medial portion and on its upper and outer side, has an integral boss 19 which is provided with an upstanding central tongue 20, movably engaging in the slot between the lugs 18 and centrally pivoted on a transverse hinge bolt 21 fastened in said lugs. The 'boss 19 has an arcuate recess 22 on each side of the base of the tongue to accommodate the rounded bottoms -23 of the lugs and provide freedom of swinging movement. Likewise the top vof the slot 17 is curved to accommodate the arcuate top of the boss 19. The hanger 16 has on its inner side a projecting stop 24 overhanging the finger 12. 'The finger is formed at its free end with a keeper 25 which is adapted to register with the outer end;of an elongated transverse slot 26 in a boss 27 extending from the head 14. A transverse spring-p'ressed-latch bar 28 'is disposed to slide longitudinally. in the'slot and has its outer end 29 bevelled downwardly'and' inwardly so as to be depressed when thef ree end of the finger 12 is swung upward thereacross. As the end of the finger rides over the bevelled end of the latch bar, a coiled spring 30, which has been comin Fig.4.

pressed, expels the end of the end bar under the keeper 25, whereby the closure member 11' is fastened in its closed position. i A screw bolt 31, slidable in an opening 32 extending through the head 14 is screwed into the inner end of'the latch bar 28 and the spring 30 is coiled around the bolt and confinedin the slot 26.. The head 33 of the bolt '31'is loosely engaged in a recess 34 in the outer end of a centrally pivoted lever 35. The 'lever' is pivoted at 36 in .a slot 37 inthe outer face of thelhead 14 and has an angularly disposed arm 38 projecting from the upper end of the slot. By depressing the arm, the lever is swung and the latch bar 28 is withdrawn from the keeper 25. V

The closure member 11 has its lower portion formed into a curved swinging jaw 15' which is substantially a duplicate'of the-jaw 15. The structure, and relation to each other, of "the jaws and the finger 12 is highly important. It is to be noted thatthe jaw members and the finger have "approgrirnately cylindrical faces 39, which, when the toolisj closed, form a substantially continuous arcuate wall in surrounding relation to the pipe surface. The pivoting 'andfa s'tened positions of the closure mem ber 11 are such that when the latch bar 28 is withdrawn, the member 11 will swingdown to the posit-ion shown In -using' the 't'ooly'the operator graspsthe handle 13 with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 4 and lowers the tool over the pipe A. As the tool is lowered, the finger 12 is brought into engagement with the pipe, whereby the jaw 15' is swung inwardly toward the pipe. Continued lowering of the tool causes the finger 12 to swing upwardly until it engages the latch bar 28 and is thus secured in gripping position. When in such position, the lower ends of the jaws will be below the transverse center of the pipe and close enough to the pipe to grip the same below its transverse center when the tool is lifted.

It is pointed out that the tool being suspended by the handle 13 and the'finger 12 being latched, any movement of the tool, either up or down, will have no etfect upon the pipe gripping action of its elements and nor is the fatigue as great as if the hand gripping action was applied at the finger 12. When it is desired to release the pipe, it is merely necessary to depress the arm '39 which withdraws the latch bar 28 and frees the finger 12, and then, simply by the users lifting the tool upwardly, the closure member 11 swings downwardly and frees the tool from the pipe. It is to be noted that the upper surface of the latch'bar 28 which engages the keeper 25 is inclined downwardly and the keeper is similarly inclined. Thus, the weigh of a pipe or other article supported between the jaws 15 and 15 is applied to the latch bar and keeper in such a manner as not to impede the ready withdrawal of the latch bar from beneath the keeper when the pipe is to be released.

When the tool is held suspended in the operators hand, the closure member is pendant and free to swing on its pivot bolt 21 to move the jaws 15 and 15' apart to receive a pipe. In use it is merely necessary to position the jaws 15 and 15 over the pipe and move the tool downwardly, the closing together of the jaws and the latching of the closure member in pipe-supporting position becoming automatic after the finger 12 contacts the pipe and the downward movement is continued.

This tool is particularly adapted to placing and lifting thin-walled irrigating pipe from one furrow to another furrow, but has other uses also.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and variouschanges in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A handling tool including, a handle member having a handle intermediate its ends, a hinge at one end of the handle member, a latch at the opposite end of the handle member, a relatively fixed jaw depending from the handle member, and a closure member pivotally connected intermediate its ends at the hinge and including a jaw disposed to coact with the fixed jaw in gripping an article and also including a finger having afree end and disposed in the path of an article to be gripped between the jaws and adapted to engage the latch at its free end.

2. A handling tool including, a handle member, a depending clamping jaw fixed to the handle member, an arcuate closure member -medially and pivotally connected to one end of the handle member havinga swinging jaw depending at one side of its pivot to coact with the clamping jaw and a finger extending from the opposite side of its pivot disposed to be engaged by an article tobegripped between the jaws to automatically move the swinging jaw toward the clamping jaw, and a latch carried by the handle member in position to be engaged by the finger when the closure member is swung to a closed position.

' arcuate closure member medially and pivotally connected to one end of the handle member having a swinging jaw depending at one side Of" its pivot to coact with the clamping jaw and a finger extending from the opposite side of its pivot disposed to be engaged by an article to be gripped between the jaws to automatically close the swinging jaw, and latch means carried by the handle member for engaging the closure member, the closure member when unlatched being free to swing downwardly and away from the clamping jaw and to straddle an article to be engaged.

4. A handling tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the jaws and the finger have coacting approximately cylindrical faces for engaging around a cylindrical article.

5. A handling tool including, a head member having a handle intermediate its ends, a clamp depending from one end of the head member in fixed relation thereto, a curved closure member hingedly connected intermediate its ends to one end of the head member and having a finger member and a clamp member, the finger member having a latch element on its outer end, and a latch carried by the head disposed to engage the latch element of the finger member of the closure member.

6. A handling tool including, a head member having a handle intermediate its ends, a clamp depending from one end of the head member in fixed relation thereto, a curved closure member hinged intermediate its ends to the opposite end of the head member and having a finger member underlying the handle and a clamp member depending in spaced relation to the clamp, the finger member having a latch element on its outer end, a latch carried by the head disposed to engage the latch element of the finger member of the closure member, and a stop carried by the head member in the path of the closure member to limit the upward swing of the finger member.

7. A handling tool including, a head member having a handle intermediate its ends, a clamping jaw depending from one end of the head member in fixed relation thereto, a curved closure member hingedly connected intermediate its ends to the opposite end of the head member and having a finger member and a clamp member, the finger member having a latch element on its outer end, a latch carried by the head disposed to engage the latch element of the finger member of the closure member, and a latch operating arm extending from the head member at the latch, the latch extending at a downward angle with respect to the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,349 Johnstone Mar. 23, 1886 763,338 Baker June 21, 1904 1,111,338 Watson Sept. 22, 1914 2,342,506 Wrobbel Feb. 22, 1944 2,665,162 Moore Ian. 5, 19 54 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,613 Great Britain Dec. 9, 1912 

